Robbinsdale

Recent Articles

Councilmember Don Samuels says he is the only mayoral candidate that has “clarity of vision” to work on eliminating the city’s racial disparities. “Nobody has the clarity of vision and the loftiness of vision that I have for this community,” he claims.

“I made sure that I penned with my own hand to include the language of participation goals [32 percent Blacks and other people of color] of any project funded by City dollars,” says Samuels on workforce diversity on the Vikings stadium project. “I thought it was going to be a sweet deal for us moving from 11 percent to 32 percent on a $1 billion project. From here on out, it’s a matter of oversight…to make sure that this thing is happening from beginning to end and through the completed Vikings stadium operation.”

Samuels supports the recent city council-endorsed streetcar plan, a 3.4-mile line that would run from Lake Street to 5th Street Northeast along Nicollet, then cross the river at the Hennepin Avenue Bridge — at a cost between $180 and $220 million. “I’ve been championing streetcars on West Broadway — I’m the first one to do that,” he points out. Continue Reading →

In last week’s edition, the MSR reviewed 2009 suspension data from several suburban schools showing, as the story headline stated, that “Black suspensions [are] more than double other students’ in suburban schools.” The MSR also reviewed the 2010-11 and 2011-12 discipline data from the Minnesota Department of Education (MDE) to determine if schools have improved since 2009. According to the most recently available MDE data, the extremely disproportionate Black student suspension rates in several Minneapolis suburban schools have not significantly improved over the course of the last two school years, and in several cases have grown considerably worse, despite statements from many districts that they have programs in place to reduce the rates. The MSR examined MDE disciplinary action counts from 13 school districts. Following are specifics from four districts.

Hopkins

Fifty-seven percent of 2010-12 suspensions (580 of 1,010) in Hopkins junior high and high schools were Black students, an 11 percent increase from 2009. Continue Reading →

On April 26, Black Hopkins high school students walked out during the school’s last hour of the day. They complained of unfair treatment when it comes to disciplinary issues. “We want equality. We are here for an education,” says Junior Malika Musa, who co-organized the protest with fellow 11th-grader Maray Singleton. “[School officials] are not really trying to acknowledge that we have these problems and that we need to change,” adds Singleton. Continue Reading →

Chappell Publishing Ministry gives authors or prospective authors the opportunity to have their manuscripts published at an extremely affordable cost. “We are professional writers, transcriptionists, and designers who have spent a number of years working in the ministry writing books, publishing magazines, and transcribing sermons,” says Norma Chappell president of the company. “We love the ministry and see an opportunity to help others advance their ministry work through our experience.”

Freelance writer Michele Johnson says that the Lord has given individual members of the body of Christ specific gifts for the edifying of the church. “We have the capacity to operate within those specific gifts,” Michele Johnson says. “By assisting those in ministry in spreading the messages God gave them, the whole body benefits.”

Chappell Publishing Ministry has the means to transfer years of cassette tapes to CDs, and if ministers desire to have their preaching and teaching cassettes or CDs transcribed or made into a library for them, Chappell Publishing Ministry has that capability, too. Continue Reading →